Helping a nervy pony

a kind of magic

a kind of magic

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I own (amongst others) a 13hh new forest pony who is 3 and a half. I've owned him from a yearling and he previously came from the sales and ran on the forest. He is a very sweet and friendly pony once he gets to know you but can be nervy around new people.

He also learns fairly slowly due to breaking down everything into baby steps so as not to over face him. He went away to a local yard for 3 months and in that time was very lightly backed, never actually ridden away and in the end I had to bring him home because it just wasn't financially viable.

Add to this that I have just found out I am pregnant, he really must go to a new home (loan or sale) as he will never be tall enough for my husband or myself and because of his sharpness he would be unsuitable for a first pony! :( I am unhappy to let him go in his current state because he is unridable, and due to his size and nature I would imagine it would be easy for him to end up in the wrong hands.

My question is, any pointers with how I can help build his confidence so he doesn't think everything is going to eat him? He has been raised the same as our other horses who are all 'dope on a rope' and he is good with the farrier and vet and good to handle, just a complete wuss when it comes to new things or new people. Any hints or tips appreciated! :)
 
I'm having a similar problem with my pony - she was born wild and ran wild for years. It's been suggested that as she ran wild with a wild herd for so long her behaviour is normal. Shes a total sweetheart but it takes her a while to be confortable with new people tho she takes new situations like shows etc in her stride. I found that taking her out in hand and getting total strangers to give her polos helped :D
 
I like the idea of taking him for walks to see strangers lol! There's a pub right opposite, sure they wouldn't mind me getting the punters to feed him lol.
 
Its a shame that in 3 months the yard did not do a better job in exposing him to more and to not ride him away either.

I would get him out and about as much as possible,do some work to desensitise him,the more he can experience the better.

Consider finding a person to finish him properly so that he can be rehomed as a ridden pony,he has a much better chance of finding the right home then.
 
We got a 4yr old12hh pony a few years ago -she had been a given as a bogof to a riding school as she was a total bag of nerves, then when they couldn't get near her they were going to pts so a friend took her & started just taking her along to shows & tying to box all day - she calmed a little but really hated the loud yard so I took her on (own yard so very quiet) - she was sooo nervous, ran away from you, in stable tried to climb walls! So my 8yr old decided just to sit in there with her talking to her, after a few hours she let her stroke her. To shorten story, daughter took on responsibility for her handling, grooming & they struck up such a bond - after a LOT of hard work & constant handling & exposing to things (carrier bags in stable, seaside windmill thingys around her stable doke etc) she seemed to come round & daughter, with help from instructor friend, got her riding away. By the age of 6 she was a different pony who everyone could ride - won everything at mounted games, competed at 3 national SJ finals & made a rider out of my daughter!! She still had her quirks - only daughter could catch & load her & you could never touch her ears - we believed that she had tags ripped out of them as they both had chunks missing.

A quieter yard may help & also pass her education to someone who has a bit more time to spend on him - you will be busy when the baby comes (big congratulations !!) . It can be done but it is hard work!!! Good luck xx

After 18 months
http://m1092.photobucket.com/albumv...XbS+mf7/nmWUGLiXDoFRiQkEzoOaKEGQO2nxjlhQHgF4=
& after 3yrs
http://m1092.photobucket.com/albumv...XbS+mf7/nmWUGLiXDoFRiQkEzoOaKEGQO2nxjlhQHgF4=
 
Thanks guys, I wish in the 3 months he was there that he was at the yard that he was exposed to more 'scary stuff' but you live and learn. I am currently trying to find a small enough professional rider to help me out with him. He is the daftest pony, couldn't care less about the rubbish truck, the lorries that go past his field delivering flowers or the farrier but when meeting friends of mine he runs away! If he was 'dope on a rope' I would keep him for the baby but he really needs a small but very competent rider. Hopefully I can find him a nice loan or sale home once he's well under saddle!

I have my local RA coming to do some desensitising work, she has been working with my stallion since he was a foal and has brought him on really nicely so far and she specialises in unhandled/semi-feral horses so hopefully she can give me some more pointers! :D
 
I will probably sound atrocious here, but I have been in the situation. My current came a wreck, he was going to be shot as it was so hard to get near him. Older wiser people around me told me he needed a professional horse whisperer or similar, apart from one woman who told me to work him bloody hard so he was so tired he couldn't be scared. Without the money for the first option I went for the latter and he was backed within 2 weeks, hacking out on his own within the next two, sure he was still nervy (and still is year later, thats just him and his past) but I did find just "cracking on" with it all got his head in the right place, I never did anything to hurt him and everything was very black and white and he was like "hey, you seem to know the worlds ok and what to when it goes wrong, I'll just do what you say" and all is good :) Lots of work, lots of seeing things, lots of contact, lots of niceness and lots more work

Now that probably sounds really evil to most people but thats just me and the way I work, please dont eat me :)
 
No that's not evil at all! To some extent we did similar although it took a lot longer - they need to know what is expected of them without pussyfooting around!! :)
 
lol I'm just careful after being chucked off (or chased off!!) another forum as I wasn't nice enough to me ponies apparently :) And yeah it took a really short amount of time with him, everyone around was so surprised (including me!), but despite being terrified he had this HUGE attitude. He was so good at "just getting on with it" when he knew that was what was needed. He just grew in confidence once he had some direction and was like "yeah, take me on world, I'm a big boy now"
And now he's too big and confident I have no control whatsoever hehe ;)
 
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